is “having it all” a feminist fiction?

It’s a question that is constantly asked of modern moms, and for good reason. Motherhood is hard work, but today’s moms face expectations and demands that are often far beyond what is realistic for one human being to do. The pressure to be perfect and to “do it all” can sometimes be overwhelming. Many women enter motherhood believing that they can successfully balance their roles as wife, mother, homemaker, and employee, only to discover that the juggling act often means that one or more roles suffer.

Mothers are bombarded with media-created prototypes of supermoms who are seemingly able to do it all with ease. Sitcom moms, from Claire Huxtable to Claire Dunphy, are able to juggle work, multiple children, and impeccably clean houses without breaking a sweat, all while maintaining a svelte figure and perfectly coiffed hair. But if TV and film supermoms weren’t enough, we’ve now entered the age of blogging, where carefully staged photos and well-crafted stories give the illusion that regular moms are living out their days in a dreamy haze of crafts, homeschooling, organic gardening, and impeccable design. Pinterest now acts as a virtual show-and-tell, a place for inspiration but also another potential message that moms should be doing more. We’re comparing ourselves to everyone else’s highlight reel.